One Part of the Dream
by bellarke.loveforever
Summary: What if Fabian hadn't saved Nina the night of the ball? What would that do to him? And could there be a way to bring her back? How far will Fabian go to save the girl he loves? (Rated T just in case)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**What if Fabian hadn't saved Nina the night of the ball? What would that do to him? And could there be a way to bring her back? **

**Author's note: This is my first fanfiction, so please let me know what you think. I will try to keep updating it. But in order to update it, I need to know if you think it's worth continuing. I have an idea I can run with, but let me know if you want me to publish it and what you think of my work. **

Nina's POV

Nina wandered the dark tunnels alone. She was angry and betrayed, but most of all, she was hurt.

Fabian kissed Joy. Given, Joy was being a backstabbing liar, and using the mask to make it seem like it was Nina. But Fabian… He should've known better! Joy and Nina wore the same dress, but they aren't the same! Nina really thought Fabian liked her, but maybe his past with Joy was a problem.

Nina knew the danger in going into the tunnels alone, they all had the same dream. But she wouldn't let that happen, _she_ was smarter than that.

"_Watch the time piece_." Senkhara! It had to be, maybe it was a hint!

Nina kept backing up, looking for a vision of Senkhara somewhere, telling her what to do to find the mask and get rid of the curse. As she walked backwards, she completely forgot how close she was to the edge of the chasm.

Nina barely had time to scream before she lost her footing on the edge of the chasm. She started to fall, just barely catching the edge with her hands. She held on with all her might, feeling fatigue creep up her arms.

"Somebody help! Anyone! Amber! Fabian! _Help_!" Nina screamed, one hand losing grip.

"_Nina!_" She heard a familiar voice yell, coming down the tunnel.

"Fabian! Help! Please!" She cried, the last word but a whisper. She knew she couldn't hold on much longer.

"Nina, hold on!" Fabian yelled as he rounded the corner of the tunnel into her view. As much as she hated him right now, she was beyond happy to see his face.

She almost smiled, but her hands slipped off the edge.

Fabian dove for her hands, only catching one hand. Nina hung, suspended in the air above the chasm, her other hand finding Fabian's. She looked to him, felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Fabian, I'm scared." She whispered.

"You're not going anywhere, Nina. That's one part of the dream I won't let come true. Amber! Hurry!" He looked back to Nina, struggling to pull her up.

Something shook the tunnels, ripping their hands apart.

"No!"

Over her screaming as she fell into the chasm, Nina heard and saw two things before darkness surrounded her.

Senkhara laughing as she stood watching her fall.

And Fabian, screaming her name, his voice cracking. She could practically see the hurt of the world on his face as he just sat there, hand outstretched, grasping for her hand, which was no longer there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author note:**

**Sorry it took so long! Like, I can't even tell you how sorry I am! I know I've been taking forever, but that's because I had an existence to get to! Anyway, lemme know what you think of this chapter, and again sorry it took so long to update! Always open for reviews! :) Love you all!**

**Chapter 2**

Fabian's POV

I watched her fall and be swallowed by darkness, all while screaming her name. She couldn't be gone. It was Nina, the girl who never gave up, the girl who always knew what to do, and the girl he loved. _Is that how it ends? _Fabian thought. Would I never be able to tell her I love her? Or see her again?

Amber, who came just as Nina fell, dropped to her knees. A steady stream of tears rolled down her cheeks. She whispered something about being too late, hiccuping through tears.

Fabian just lay there, hand still outstretched. Tears fell down off his face into the chasm, following the only girl he'd ever loved. A wave of feelings rushed into him. Anger, at himself for not being able to hold on, hurt, that Nina had felt she needed to run off because of him, more anger, at Joy for causing this, but most of all, there was a gaping hole in his chest, which was made up of sadness.

Fabian thought back to his first time meeting Nina, how she just stood there, so confident. And how she smiled at them all and brightly said "Hi! I'm Nina. I'm from America!" Fabian smiled at the memory, because in that moment he knew she was special, and he liked her.

Amber tugged at his shoulder, pulling him back.

"We have to go." Her voice cracked.

"We can't just leave her-"

"Fabian! She's already gone!" Amber fiercely whispered.

"How can you say that? It's not true. I refuse to accept that she's gone, because she's _not_. Why would Senkhara let her die? She needed Nina to get the mask for her?" Fabian shouted, tears still streaming down his cheeks in rivers.

"I-I don't know! Okay, _she_ was the smart one with all the plans and ideas. Maybe Senkhara didn't need her anymore? Maybe she found a replacement in one of us?" Amber wiped her tears away. "Fabian?"

Fabian hadn't spoken in a few minutes, just sat up and looked down into the dark void that crushed his soul.

"We have to go Fabian." Amber whispered, pulling at Fabian's arms.

"But-" He sighed. Looking over at Amber in her dress, he could tell she was cold and scared. "All right, but we can't go all the way back yet… We don't know what to say about-" His voice caught. "About-"

Amber held up a manicured hand. "I know who you're talking about. If you can't say it, don't."

She offered him a hand, and when he was finally standing up, he had to lean on Amber so he wouldn't fall back to his knees. She helped him out of the tunnel, through the secret room and up the stairs.

"Amber, I think I- I need to- I need to be alone right now." He stuttered out.

Amber nodded. After one last glance back to make sure he was okay, she trudged her way up the stairs. Fabian could hear the sound of the door shutting upstairs as he opened his own.

After shutting the door and locking it - he felt bad if Mick wanted to come home- he flung himself on his bed, ignoring the mess around the room. He couldn't hold it in anymore (not that he did that well before), so he wept heartbroken sobs.

He wondered what Nina would say if their roles were reversed.

"She'd never give up on me." He said allowed to no one. "And she would cry for a while… A long while… And then she would remember all the good times. Like prom.

Amber had taken the stage to announce the king and queen. And because no one had actually voted, she was going to decide herself. Much to everyone's surprise, she chose Fabian and Nina for king and queen. It was very surprising, so when they went up there, they put the crowns on and sat down in the thrones. Amber just looked at them while they sat there awkwardly, and whispered fiercely at them.

"Now, dance you two!" As she made hand gestures to get them on the center of the stage.

They awkwardly got up and started dancing. Nina was blushing and looked at him.

"Well _that_ was embarrassing." She said, trying to play it cool.

"Yea." Fabian said. They danced in silence for a moment, smiling at each other. "You look-"

"Ridiculous, I know." Nina interrupted, looking down at the floor.

He shook his head. "I was going to say beautiful."

She looked up at him and smiled, cheeks flushing again. They danced in silence again, just cherishing the moment. Eventually, he got really curious.

"So do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Did you just call me beautiful?" Nina said, smiling so bright it light up the room.

He smiled even wider. "Yea." They paused, smiling at each other again. "So, why did you go back down to the cellar?"

She shook her head. "All that can wait. This can't."

She leaned in and brought her lips to his. It was their first real kiss, and it had felt amazing and full of love. It was perfect.

The second Nina leaned in, cheers erupted from the crowd. After a moment, Nina seemed to recognize the cheering and broke away, her hands never left his neck. She smiled and they laughed a bit, blushing a shade of crimson that shouldn't be possible. But they didn't regret it.

They laughed some more as the music sped up and everyone started jumping up and down, but Fabian and Nina slow danced even closer, their foreheads touching. They looked at each other like it was only the two of them left, and nothing else mattered. Nothing could break that moment.

Fabian brought himself back from the memory. He could still feel her hips under his hands, her hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers moving through his hair, her lips meeting his.

He brought his finger up to his lips, tracing them where he could feel her kiss. He'd kissed her tonight too, but then kissed Joy, thinking it was Nina.

This brought his anger back. If Joy had never done that, Nina would still be here, and she wouldn't be mad. He could tell, by the way she looked at him before she ran out the door, she was heartbroken. Tears had already begun to form as she turned and ran, leaving him with the Nina-imposter.

_Was this Joy's fault? _Fabian thought. Could he possibly blame her, even if it was?

No, that wasn't like him. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be mad at her for the stunt she pulled. Why did she even do that? Didn't she knew he was with Nina… Or was… Looking back he realized Joy was probably jealous, but he never realized it because the only girl he ever saw, or would ever see like that was the American student, Nina Martin.

God, did he miss her right now.

There was a soft knock at the door. Fabian thought he could just ignore whoever it was and go back to wallowing in self-pity, but that sounded more depressing the more he thought of it, so he got up and went to the door.

When he opened the door, he saw Trudy, their house mother, standing there with a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong Trudy?" He asked, trying to sound normal.

"Sorry to bother you Fabian, but you haven't happened to see Nina, have you?" She asked, worry clouding her face.

"Not since she ran out of the dance because-" He stopped, afraid he was telling too much.

"Because why, sweetheart? And why do you look like you've been crying?" Her worry moved aside for concern.

"Because I- I kissed Joy. But I swear, she tricked me! She had the same dress as Nina and she picked up her mask and said nothing and just kissed me! I tried to tell Nina that exact thing, but she ran out before I could reach her." His words rushed out, not caring if he was saying too much. For gosh sake, it was _Trudy_.

"Well, why don't you come to the kitchen with me and we'll get you some cocoa. You'll need it after what I'm about to say…" She trailed off mysteriously.

"Trudy, what's the matter?"

"I think Nina's missing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Author's note: Just give me some feedback please! And thanks for the feedback from last chapter! I love hearing from you! ****So, thanks so much to the awesome reviews and encouragement to continue this story. And because I felt like I didn't update fast enough, I put two chapters up this time (3 & 4). A special thanks to houseofanubisfan2, PurpleDucks5, and KiwiSaladFace for your reviews. They made my day and made me write these faster :) Keep up the reviews! Lemme know what you think xo**

Nina's POV

Darkness; it swallowed her, held her in its arms. Nina couldn't see anything. Now that she thought of it, she couldn't feel anything, either. Just darkness everywhere.

But she could hear, and she heard a menacing laugh somewhere to her right that sent a shiver down her spine.

Nina tried to move and follow the laugh, but the feeling of darkness switched to an overwhelming pain shooting through her body. She let out a yelp, wincing at the pain. It was worse than any pain she'd ever had. She felt like she had broken multiple bones at once. She tried to think back to what happened before the darkness, but her mind was a fog, only one thing passed the fog:

"Fabian." Nina whispered.

She glanced around, barley moving her head because it caused a throb in her temples every time she moved it. Still nothing but darkness, no shadows, nothing.

She thought of Fabian. His adorable smile, his nervous stutter, the way he looked when he was deep in thought, the way she always felt safe around him. He was her first friend at Anubis House when she came here from America, he never tried to hurt her or get her to leave. He was nothing but kind, caring, funny, adorable and interested. He was always Fabian.

The laugh came again, a little louder.

This time, when she struggled to move through the pain, she realized she was in some kind of box. It was cramped and she couldn't move.

"Is that the best you can do?" A voice called, muffled by the box. Nina struggled to move, to get out, but every movement hurt, and there didn't seem to be a way out at the time. The voice then continued in some foreign language that she couldn't detect, and suddenly the air thinned, and she couldn't breathe. She struggled for air. Then, as quick as it had started, the struggle was gone, and then she was being pulled from the box. It wasn't like she was physically pulled from the box, it was actually like floating.

Was she dead? Was that why she felt suddenly… more free?

_No!_ She mentally slapped herself. She's not dead, she's just dreaming. _Yeah, that's it. Dreaming._

Nina felt as if she was floating, right out of the box. She looked back, seeing the box. But then it dawned on her; it wasn't just a box.

It was a coffin.

She tried to scream, or gasp or anything, but all could feel was the weightless pull towards the voice that was still laughing. Laughing at her, she could feel it.

As she drew closer to the voice, her senses returned as well. She could see better even though it was dark. In fact, she could see everything, as if it was light as day. She could also hear things better, like the voice. She could tell it was female, and menacing. Actually, all her senses seemed to be heightened.

"Come now, Chosen one, you didn't think you could ignore me forever, did you?" Nina finally identified the voice; Senkhara. She couldn't tell why it had taken her so long to figure out who was speaking to her.

Nina looked at Senkhara, seeing her dark, translucent body. She was smiling evilly at her, and it sent a shiver through her body-

Wait. Nina held up her hands to inspect them. They were translucent too. She didn't have a body, she was a ghost. Or something…

"Am I dead? I thought you needed me! Why am I dead-" Nina shrieked.

"Calm!" Senkhara yelled, her powerful voice silencing the words forming in her throat. "You are not dead. You've just forfeited your life, for now."

"But," Nina dared to speak, still a little afraid though, "I'm like a ghost, and you said I forfeited my life, and yet you say I'm not dead? That sounds like dead to me."

"You're still alive, only because I need you. But your _body_, that's in the box until you deserve it again." Nina looked back, forcing Senkhara's temper to rise again. "You still haven't found the mask. You were too busy with your life to find it. So now, nothing's in your way. People, schedules and walls don't define you nor do they stop you right now. Find the mask, or be stuck like this forever."

"Is that what you meant? By 'watch the time piece or forfeit your life?' You meant my social life, not my physical life?"

"Find the mask!" She yelled back. "Or the next person to 'forfeit their life' will really be dead. Maybe I'll start with your precious boy."

_Fabian_.

"No! I'll find it! I swear! Please, don't hurt my friends!" Nina practically begged, voice wavering.

"Good." Senkhara walked towards her, and she tried not to flinch away from her. "Now, focus on where you want to go. Picture it, like you're already there. Now focus even more. Close your eyes if you have to, and you'll be there. Find the mask, or both you and your precious boy die."

And with that, she disappeared, leaving Nina alone. All she could think about was Fabian, and his face the night she fell. What happened to him after that? Was he alright? Did he feel guilty? What was going on in Anubis House right now?

She sighed and closed her eyes. She pictured her room with Amber. She pictured her bed, her things strewn everywhere trying to get ready for the dance. Amber's vanity overflowing with makeup and hair products, her clothes on the floor.

And suddenly she was there, standing in the middle of the room, looking at her things. Amber wasn't there, but she couldn't help it; she walked over to her side of the room, looking at everything that screamed 'Amber.'

She heard voices coming from the dining room downstairs. She could hear someone crying, and she knew it was Amber. She didn't even remember moving, and she was in the entryway, looking in the living room and dining room.

Amber was on a couch, holding onto Alfie, crying, while he just held her and looked dazed. Patricia whispered fiercely with Eddie, but she looked shaken up, and so did he. Everyone did, actually. But there was one face Nina didn't see. She turned to go, but Trudy's voice stopped her.

"I know this is hard for you all, but I can promise you, they are looking for Nina." Trudy was looking around, and it was so weird when she looked right through Nina. She felt so strange and out of place. No one could see her-

Wait! Looking for her? Why would they be looking for her? _Oh right…_ She must've been looked for by someone and deemed missing. But she knew one of the people who knew the truth was sitting alone, and probably broken.

She walked, or floated, to his door, which she didn't have to try to know it was locked. She nervously tested her ghostly abilities and walked through the door. It worked, and she was looking into his joint room with Mick, and there he was, sitting on his bed, holding a picture of her.

She knew if she could cry, she would right now. Seeing him like this; his eyes red from crying, his face hollow and expressionless, his lips pulled into a tight line, and his entire body slackened from lack of energy and will. She wished nothing more than to hug him, kiss him and tell him everything was okay. But it wasn't.

_But she was_. A voice whispered.

Despite knowing she couldn't be seen, she walked- er, floated?- towards Fabian. She stopped right in front of him, finally seeing the fresh tears in his eyes. He stared at the picture of her. A tear ran down his cheek.

"Nina, I'm so sorry!" He whispered to the picture. "Everything that's happened… It's my fault! You never would've gone down in those stupid tunnels alone if I hadn't been stupid and kissed Joy, thinking it was you. But I swear, I thought it was you! She had your mask, and just walked up and kissed me, and I thought it was you! And then in the tunnels… I just couldn't hold you up, and you- you-" He shook his head, unable to finish that sentence.

"I'm so sorry!" He wiped a few tears off his face. "Just please, come back to me."

"Oh, Fabian!" She couldn't help herself, she wished he could hear her.

His head snapped up, eyes alert.

"Nina?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Author's Note: So, thanks so much to the awesome reviews and encouragement to continue this story. And because I felt like I didn't update fast enough, I put two chapters up this time (3 & 4). A special thanks to houseofanubisfan2, PurpleDucks5, and KiwiSaladFace for your reviews. They made my day and made me write these faster :) Keep up the reviews! Lemme know what you think :)**

Fabian's POV:

_"Oh, Fabian!" _

His head snapped up, eyes darting everywhere. He knew who's voice that was. He could never forget.

"Nina?"

He looked around even more desperately than before. He knew he heard her, even if it was a faint whisper.

"Nina, please! I don't know where you are, but if you're alive, please, just… give me a sign! Anything so that I know you're okay!" He waited, hoping for any kind of sign.

Still nothing.

He sighed, feeling a little more defeated than before. But then, suddenly, the picture of Nina he put back on his nightstand fell down. He looked to it, making sure it wasn't broken. It wasn't, thank God, because if this was the last thing he had of her, he'd-

"You're alive?" He whispered, breathless.

Fabian spent the next hour or so rummaging around his room and pacing, thinking of what he could do to find Nina and get her back. He had many crazy theories, but none of them added up. He knew one thing, Nina's alive, and that's all that really mattered to him. It's what kept him going.

He sat down on his bed, realizing it was actually quite late. The moment he sat down, he felt exhausted, and to prove that point, he yawned. Maybe a good night's sleep will help him figure out what to do about saving Nina.

So he got up, unlocking the door and heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He also realized he had ten minutes, so he rushed through everything. When he got back, Mick was already in his bed, eyes closed, trying to sleep. So Fabian got ready as quickly and quietly as possible. Right as he was about to slip into bed, he heard Victor's booming voice.

"It's ten o'clock! You know what that means! You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop!" Everything was still, and apparently it was good enough for Victor, because Fabian didn't hear anything else from him, aside from his feet on the stairs.

The moment his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep, and a dream tugging at him.

Fabian opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing he realized was he was definitely dreaming. The second thing he realized was the person standing before him;

Nina.

"Nina! You're alive! You're okay!" He rushed over to her, not caring about anything else. When he reached her, he picked her up in his arms and hugged her.

"Fabian! I'm alright! It's okay!" She was smiling at him, but then something crossed her face.

"What is it?" He asked, setting her down.

"How did you do that?" She questioned.

"Do what?"

"Touch me?" She whispered.

"What?" He was more than shocked. "Like I do any other person, I mean, you're right there…?"

"I know… I just thought… Maybe it's because this is a dream. I'm sorry… I was just, confused I think." She shook the thought from her mind. "Anyway, I needed to see you, and I had no idea if this would work, but obviously it did more than that. You can see me, and hear me, and even touch me."

"What do you mean? I couldn't do that before?" He was really confused by everything she was saying now.

"Not since- Um… Not since I fell." She said, looking down.

"Nina, I'm so sorry!" He sighed. "This is all my fault! If-"

"It's not your fault. And you don't need to give this speech again, I heard it already." She smiled sheepishly.

"When?" He asked, almost embarrassed. He wasn't mad, he just never remembered her being there… "Was that before I went to bed, when I was apologizing in my room… I heard you! You said my name…"

She looked up, puzzled. "You- You heard me?" She whispered.

"Yeah. Then I asked for you to give me a sign or something, remember?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I kept trying to yell something else, to try and get you to hear, but you didn't hear anything else… So I got a little upset and tried to knock over something."

"It worked! Remember? I knew you were alive, because the picture I had was knocked over on my nightstand." She nodded again, a smile creeping up on her face. "Well… now I'm a little embarrassed… You- You saw the photo… You… Don't think I'm creepy now, do you?" He looked very nervous, but he trusted her.

"No! Of course not. In fact, I thought it was kinda cute." She smiled, a slight blush was filling her cheeks. "I'm glad I could talk to you. Anyway, back to the important part. I'm not dead, but I'm not exactly… I don't know how to say it… Alive?" She looked down at her feet.

"Anyway," She continued, "Senkhara still needs me, or… something… but- well…"

"Nina, what is it? You can tell me."

"Well, I'm kind of a… ghost? I guess… I mean, I know where my body is, but I'm like _her_, Fabian. She made me like her. I can teleport- well that's what I call it- and I can walk through walls, and no one can see me-" She sniffled a bit, a tear escaping her eyes. "I don't know how, but I think I can only cry and be touched in dreams. It's- lonely, and it hurt so much. Not physically, but emotionally. I was right next to you, and you were so sad, because of me, and I couldn't hold you or even say 'you'll be alright.' It killed me." She turned away from him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey, Nina." He turned her around, putting his hand below her chin, lifting her head to look him in the eyes. His other hand wiped her tears away. "No need to cry, I'm right here. I can see you."

She sniffed again. "For now."

"Well then, we just cherish dreams." He leaned in to her and brought his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, as he held her head in his hands.

Suddenly, Nina pulled away, her face sad. She was growing transparent. A faint glow around her, but it wasn't like Senkhara's. Her's was a black glow, while Nina's was a lot fainter and almost a blue color.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, "I have to go!"

"What's going on?" He yelled over the noise that was growing louder by the second. Wind was also getting a lot stronger. It was like, everything was being sucked into a black hole, and he was anchored to his spot, while Nina struggled to stay put.

"Fabian, you're waking up!" She yelled over the wind, trying to keep her hair out of her eyes. "I promise I'll see you again! Remember, it wasn't your fault!"

And with that she, along with everything else, disappeared.

Fabian shot up in bed, almost smacking Mick in the face.

"Dude, calm! It's just me, you're wake up call." Mick held his hands up in defense. "Come on, time for breakfast. And… I figured you'd want to talk to Trudy about Nina and try to find her. Sorry if you didn't want to do that, man." He looked both sad and uncomfortable.

"Yeah, thanks Mick." Fabian said, holding onto the dream as if it were his lifeline. But at this point, it might've just been.

He got ready, and decided he needed to tell Amber and Patricia about his dream. They needed to know Nina was okay. But on his way up the stairs, he was stopped by none other than Joy.

"Hey, Fabes… Can I speak with you for a minute?" She still looked shaken up.

"Uh," He hesitated. "Sure."

She lead him into her room, then promptly started apologizing.

"Fabes, I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!"

"What are you sorry for?" He asked.

"Nina disappearing. She left because she was mad at you- or us- because I kissed you and you thought I was Nina… I mean, that was kind of my goal… but I'm sorry! She ran out because of us and then she disappeared. Now I feel like it was my fault. I'm so sorry!"

"Joy, it wasn't your fault she disappeared. But it was your fault she left. But I don't hate you for it. I forgive you. You're my friend. And I'm sorry, but it's going to be Nina. I only see you as a friend, and Nina- she's-"

"Nina. Yeah," She looked a little hurt, "I understand. And I know it was wrong of me to trick you. I just wanted you to like me as much as you like her. But I see now, she's the one for you. I guess I'll just have to accept that. But, I want to be friends still… If you'll still be my friend… After everything." She looked up, hopeful.

"Of course, Joy. You were always my friend, and you still are. And you will find that guy for you, I'm just not that guy. And I couldn't hate you, you know I'm almost incapable of hating people, right?"

She laughed at this. "Yeah, because you're Fabian."

"And you're Joy, obsessed with Robert Pattinson." She smiled and blushed. "And my good friend." He pulled her into a hug, a friendly one.

"Well, thanks for this." She replied, pulling away from him. "I just needed to know you didn't hate me, and we could at least be friends. So, I need to go talk to Trudy about my magazine, it should be here by now."

She walked out of her room, a little happier now. Fabian was right behind her, and he headed up to Amber's room. He knocked on the door, waiting for a minute.

Perfectly enough, Patricia answered, letting him in. It was just Amber and Patricia in her room so he could talk freely without having to kick anyone out. He couldn't bear that right now.

"Guys, I need to tell you something important. It's about Nina."

At the mention of her name, both their heads snapped in his direction, and Amber's eyes got sad yet hopeful, and Patricia just masked her emotions.

"I saw her last night."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Been a while, I know, but I've been super busy with life and all. None the less, I've been trying to keep updating this frequently. Sorry if it took a while especially if you were like my good friend, sitting at the edge of her seat everyday waiting for an update. Anyway, the ending isn't really a cliffhanger, or a question, or something that leaves you hanging, it's more... Fluffy :)**

**So here we go :) 3**

* * *

><p>Fabian's POV:<p>

"You what!?" Patricia looked at him like he was lying. She wanted to believe him but she didn't want to get hurt from false hope.

"I swear, I did!" Fabian whispered forcefully. "Keep your voices down, though."

"When? Where? Was she okay? OMG she must be scared… Why isn't she here now? Why'd she leave if you saw her? Does she hate us? Why'd she see you and not me? Why-"

"Amber!" Fabian had to raise his voice to normal speaking volume. "I can't answer any questions if you keep firing them off a mile a minute!"

"Sorry." Amber ducked her head a bit.

"Anyway," Fabian took a deep breath. "I didn't physically see her, it was in a dream. Just wait!" He added, seeing the girls deflate a bit. "It was so real, and she was telling me she's not dead, she's just… How do I explain this… Um? Like Senkhara? A ghost or spirit thing. For now!"

"You mean she told you this?" Patricia asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, last night." Fabian replied.

"Well… It could've been Senkhara toying with you." She gave him a look of pity.

"No! It wasn't! I swear!" He was borderline frantic. "She hugged me! It was her!"

"Fabian…" Amber said soothingly.

"NO!" He yelled. "She wouldn't leave me! She- She-" His voice caught.

_Fabian_.

His head jerked up. It wasn't just a dream, was it?

_Fabian_.

"Nina?" He whispered.

"I know, Fabian. We're sorry that-"

"No, she's here." He whispered, the smile growing wider.

_Fabian, I'm here. I know they don't believe me, trust me, I wouldn't either. But tell Patricia that it's me, and I can prove it._

"Patricia, Nina says it's really her, and she can prove it."

"What?" Patricia looked confused.

_Tell her that the last thing she said to me was a secret about a certain American boy in Anubis house that she happened to dance with that night…_

"She said the last thing you said to her was a secret about a certain American boy in Anubis house that you happened to dance with that night…" He trailed off, smiling at her blush.

"That doesn't prove anything! It could've been Senkhara watching!" She wanted desperately to believe this. "And why can't me or Amber see or hear her? Why just you?"

_I don't know how this works yet. In fact, I don't understand how you can hear me Fabian. Can you see me?_

He looked around the room, looking for her. Seeing nothing, he shook his head.

_I'm here, standing near the window. I wish you could see me… It's weird being looked through, not having anyone see me._

And just like that, he could see Nina near the window. She had that weird translucence that she had at the end of the dream last night. But all in all, she was still his Nina.

"Fabian, what are you smiling at like a goofball?" Amber asked, glancing around.

"You can't see her?" He asked Amber, turning his body but his eyes never left Nina's green ones.

Both shook their heads sadly.

_I'm so sorry that you all can't see me…_

Amber and Patricia jumped, surprised. From their reaction, Fabian guessed they heard her.

_Can-? Can you all hear me? Even Patricia and Amber?_

"Nina? We can hear you! It's like… Like you're speaking to me… But inside my mind!" Amber spoke, tears of joy bubbling up.

_Amber! I'm so glad you all can hear me. Fabian, can you still see me?_

"Yeah, I can." He whispered, still staring at her.

"Why can't we see you then?" Patricia asked.

_I don't know. I promise I'll work on that, because I barely got Fabian to see me moments ago. The whole time you guys were talking, I was trying to say something, but the first time Fabian heard me was when I said his name._

"That a bit romantic." Amber sighed wistfully.

"Amber!" Fabian looked at her, eyes wide.

"What?" She shrugged. "I hope she forgave you about everything, because I hate when you two fight! You're so adorable together."

Fabian blushed, and he could practically feel Nina do the same, yet he saw her do nothing but grin shyly.

_Amber! _

"Sorry Nina. I know, not the time or place…" She looked disappointed.

_It's alright. And I forgave him, don't worry. I can't stay mad at him for long. You should know that by now, Amber._

"I'm right here!" Fabian looked between the two girls. "And you can't stay mad at me for long?" He asked, hopeful.

_No. Definitely not_.

"Well that's good, because I can barely ever be mad at you at all."

"Yuck! If this is all that's going to be going on, I'm outta here. This is too much romance for me." Patricia spoke up for the first time in a while.

_No, sorry Patricia. I needed you all to know I'm here, that I'm alive, but not really. Also, that this happened because my search for the mask wasn't progressing enough. She told me I would forfeit my life, right? Well she meant school, friends… everything. So she basically made me like her, so that I can find the mask faster. But I can't do it without your help! All of you! Look how far we've all gotten together! We found the puzzle pieces that became the Cup of Ankh, and we've gotten this far on our search. I may be the chosen one, but I could never have done any of this without you guys._

"Awww! Nina!" Amber squealed. "That's so nice! We love you!"

_I love you guys too. Sibuna?_

"Sibuna!" All three put their hand over their eye, each one smiling brightly.

_Now you guys, try to figure out the clue we were on, I need to try to follow an idea quickly. Plus, I can't stay here long, it's a lot of energy to speak to you all at once._

"Will we hear from you soon?" Amber asked.

_I hope! I might try the whole dream thing again, but if not, just know I'm alright._

And with that, all three of them could feel Nina's presence leave their minds.

"So… Fabian… What was this dream about?" Amber let out a tiny, excited gasp. "Did you two get all kissy-kissy?"

"I- Well- I- We- No!" Fabian blushed as he stuttered, recalling the dream.

"You totally did! That's so romantic… In a very non-strange way." She clapped her hands. "On that note, if that was all you came to talk to us about, you need to leave. I was in a very important girl talk with Patricia."

He glanced at Patricia who had gave him a 'please help me' look, and smiled knowingly. Amber could get a little carried away, and without Nina being here, she was zeroing all her efforts on Patricia. So he held up his hands and left the room without another word.

Fabian went through a normal day at school, but his mind never left Nina. Well, it was hard when people at school constantly gave him sympathetic looks, told him they were sorry, and that she'd be found alright. Her disappearance had not been kept a secret, apparently.

He tried to act like this whole thing was devastating, which it kind of was. But it wasn't completely, because he knew some things. He knew she was alive- kind of- and he could talk to her and sometimes even see her. But she wasn't there to talk to between classes. He couldn't look over and just take in her beauty, listen to her laugh, watch the way she'd furrow her brows when she didn't understand one of the lessons. He missed her, and her being there.

When he made it through the day at school, he practically cried with relief when nothing out of the ordinary happened. Dinner went by normally… Or Anubis House's version of normal. With Jerome and Alfie throwing food and making jokes that were so stupid, people actually laughed a bit, Patricia was trying to stop their shenanigans, Eddie was adding to Patricia's stress, Amber was freaking out about her hair, Joy was reading her latest magazine, Mick and Mara were discussing- but Mara kept looking up towards Jerome- and Fabian was just sitting there, thinking about the owner of the open spot next to him at the table.

Eventually, everyone was sent back to their rooms due to the mess in the dining room- after clean up, of course- and because it was almost ten o'clock.

"Hey, Fabian?" Mick asked, once they were both ready for the night.

"Yeah?" Fabian looked over to where his roommate was looking at him with concern written on his face.

"How are you doing? With everything about Nina?" He stared at Fabian to gauge his reactions, thinking maybe he was putting up a good front. Which, he kind of was.

"I don't know." He admitted. "It kills me, to be honest. She only left the dance because-" He didn't want to continue… Didn't want to admit to Mick that he might be the reason Nina went 'missing.'

"What is it? Why did she leave the dance?"

"Because… Because I kissed Joy. But I swear, I thought it was Nina! She had Nina's mask on, and they both wore the same dress! And she didn't say anything, just kissed me! And since I thought it was Nina, I kissed back. But when I pulled back, I saw Nina in the doorway, and the look on her face-"

"I get it, man." Mick nodded. "Look, we're still close enough that you can tell me if you're not okay with any of this. I know I'd be freaking out if something happened to any of you guys. You all are like my family, here at Anubis House."

"That's exactly how Nina felt." Fabian sighed. "Sorry, that was… Anyway, thanks for making sure I was okay, Mick."

"No problem, Fabian."

"It's ten o'clock!" Victor's voice bellowed through their closed door. "You know what that means! You have five minutes precisely, and then I want to hear a pin drop!"

Everything was still again, and Fabian let his head hit the pillow, praying for another dream from Nina. It was hard just getting through the day without seeing her bright smile, and that was weighing on him. Gosh, he sounded like a love-sick teenager- which he was- or a obsessed stalker. He laughed internally at that thought.

Slowly, everything faded away into a nice grassy hill. It was beyond cliche, like something out of a story book. The sky was a perfect blue, with a few clouds here and there. The hill he was on was covered in the greenest grass, speckled with spring flowers of every color. At the top of the hill was a great big oak tree, leaning towards the bottom of the hill.

He walked up the rest of the way to the top of the hill, already guessing what he'd find at the top. More like _who_ he'd find.

And he was right. There she was, wearing her school uniform, her hair slightly ruffled by the breeze. She was lounging on a picnic blanket underneath the tree, looking out past the hill to where there was a shimmering lake. As if this dream could get any more cliche.

He sat down next to her without a word, smiling like a goofball. He missed seeing her like this, so calm, beautiful, worry-free. It had a similar effect on him, because all the worries weighing him down lifted, even if he knew they'd be back the moment he woke up, it was worth it.

She took a deep breath, still relaxed. She scooted closer to him. He automatically put his arm around her, and she leaned into him. They just sat there, gazing at the lake, not a word passed yet. They wanted to have a perfect moment they could look back at and remember when things got crazy and stressful. There were no puzzles right now, no death threats, no school, and no drama. Just the two of them, having a perfect fairy-tale moment.

"Fabian?" She asked, turning so she could see his face but not leaving his arms.

"Hm?" He smiled down to her, meeting her beautiful eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He leaned down and their lips met. They kissed for a few moments, then pulled away, both to catch their breaths and because Fabian knew he'd be waking up soon, and all this would disappear.

"Nina, what are we going to do about the mask?" Fabian asked, getting it out of the way.

"I don't know. Senkhara is worrying me, though. She said she'd do something to you or the others if I didn't hurry up and find it. But I need your help, as I said before. I could never have done anything if you hadn't helped me that first time I came here. You were so nice to me, when everyone else was mean. Why?"

"Did you not want me to be nice?" He faked a look of hurt.

"No! Of course not!" She laughed a bit, the sound making Fabian's heart leap. "I was just wondering why you rushed to my aid from the beginning."

"Because, from the moment you ran into me in the court yard and the moment you walked in to the Anubis house, announcing, and I quote "Hi! I'm Nina. I'm from America!" and continued to tell us you were from America every day," He playfully poked her arm, causing her to laugh more. His smile grew even wider. "From that moment, I knew you weren't like other girls. Heck, that you weren't like anyone. That you were special, and I liked you every minute since."

"Aw Fabian, that's so sweet!" She smiled and kissed him again.

When they finally broke apart again, they just sat there, not wanting to go back to reality, where Nina's life was in danger and so was his. Where he couldn't hold her and kiss her like he could now. They just wanted peace before everything went back.

And that's just what they got.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Author's Note: I'm SO SO SO SO SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I UPDATED! I had a really bad case of writers block for this chapter for the longest time, and I also had school which got really busy. But this story, I forgot to write down where I was going after the last chapter, so when I went back, I looked at the blank page and spaced. I just couldn't remember. Finally, I remembered and tried to write it as fast as I could for you all. I hope none of you gave up on this story, because I still haven't. And now that it's summer, I have more time to write and update (but not a ton, my life is still busy).**

* * *

><p>Fabian's POV:<p>

Fabian typed frantically on his laptop, scrunching his face in concentration. He was looking up anything and everything he could find about Senkhara, the Mask, and anything about Robert Frobisher Smythe. So far, nothing. All he could find was the same information he and Nina had found weeks ago.

A soft knocking came from the door.

Fabian sighed in frustration at the laptop and closed it, getting off his bed. He opened the door to find Trudy standing there, her expression somber.

"Trudy, what's wrong?" Fabian asked, now concerned.

"Fabian…" Trudy sighed. "It's been a week now, and I've been trying to keep them out for as long as I could, but I don't think we can put this off anymore. It's time to talk to the police."

Fabian looked down. He pulled his mouth into a grim line.

"Don't worry, Fabian. I'll be right there with you the whole time. I promise." She put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Alright. If it helps find Nina…" Fabian nodded slowly. He knew this wouldn't lead anywhere since Nina wasn't actually 'missing.' "If it's alright, I just need to take a minute before we go. I'll be out there in a moment."

"Take all the time you need, Fabian." Trudy smiled knowingly.

Fabian shut the door behind her and went back to his bed. He set the laptop he had been using on his nightstand and flopped on the bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to wrap his head around the fact that his life was nearly insane now.

When Nina first told him about the room in the attic that she found when Patricia locked her up there, his life was never the same. They had solved the mystery of the Cup of Ankh, and were now trying to find the Mask of Anubis. He was in a mystery solving club called Sibuna, his girlfriend was dead but not dead, and he could only talk to her through telepathy and his dreams. Yup, his life was not crazy_ at all_.

He laid there, staring at the ceiling, legs hanging off the side of his bed. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes.

_Nina?_ Fabian called out to her through his thoughts. _Nina, are you there?_

Nothing.

_Look, it's been a week and I haven't heard from you. I'm getting worried. I just- I just feel like something's wrong. Maybe I'm wrong, and you're fine but you need to stay away to get back to me- I mean, all of us… But it's hard. I could hardly stand not seeing you in person everyday, and now not being able to talk to you at all is _killing_ me. Nina, please. Just… Answer me._

Still nothing.

Fabian wanted to scream, punch something, cry, or all three. He didn't do any of them, though. He just took a very long breath, and opened his eyes.

_Well… I guess I have to talk to the police about your 'disappearance' now. But I know they can't help. It's up to us now, and I want you to know, I will do whatever it takes to get you back, Nina. Because I love you._

* * *

><p>"State your name, please."<p>

Fabian looked at the two police officers across from him. He was in an interrogation room, and it surprisingly looked like some of the ones from TV shows he'd briefly seen. There were two police officers, both male. One was tall and very muscular, while the other was three-fourths his height and not as bulky.

"Fabian Rutter." He said, looking at the two. He still couldn't believe he was actually in an interrogation.

The smaller one was writing down his responses or notes or something, while the other was looking at Fabian, face unreadable and hands folded on the table. He was the one asking the questions.

"Now, what is your relationship with Nina Martin, Mr. Rutter?" He asked, barely even moving.

"She's my girlfriend." He looked at Trudy, who was sitting beside him. He was still a minor, so they couldn't question him or anything without a parent or guardian. His parents were away and they gave Trudy full consent to step in, which actually made Fabian feel better. Trudy knew him and how he was around Nina, and she was always so helpful to him, so it gave him confidence.

"Where exactly were you the night of the dance?"

"At the dance…" Fabian raised an eyebrow questioningly, not exactly understanding the question. It seemed pretty self-explainitory.

"All night?" The detective leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. "You never left? Not _once_?"

"What are you implying?" Trudy asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.

"Well, Mr. Rutter, I will answer that for you. You _did_ leave the dance. Minutes after Nina Martin left. Witnesses say she left, crying. Care to explain?"

"Are you asking me if I _kidnapped_ my girlfriend?" Fabian exclaimed.

"I am asking if you know why she left crying." The detective stated, eyes cold.

"She did leave crying, that's true. And it's because she saw me kiss someone else." He said slowly, embarrassed to admit that in front of Trudy, he didn't know why.

"So, she saw you kissing another girl, ran home crying, and hours later, she's missing. Looks like you got angry that she caught you, so you wanted her out of the picture."

"No!" Fabian yelled. "I would never do _anything_ to hurt Nina! Or anyone, for that matter!"

"It's true. Boy can barely harm a fly. And he's only ever been kind and caring around Nina, so he couldn't have done anything to the poor girl." Trudy stepped in to defend him.

"Hold on." The detective held up his hands. "Let's start with explaining the reason you were kissing another girl in the first place."

"I thought she was Nina!" His shoulders slumped as he revisited the memory he wanted nothing more than to go back and redo.

"What do you mean, _you thought she was Nina_? Who?"

"It-" Fabian looked down at his hands in his lap. "It was Joy. She and Nina ordered the same dress unknowingly from Jerome as a prank."

"So they were wearing the same dresses?" The detective taking notes looked up, not stopping his scribbling.

"Yes." Fabian nodded enthusiastically.

"Jerome has been known to… well… create chaos." Trudy added.

"Alright…" The detectives shared a look. "Continue."

"They were both wearing the same dress. Nina and I had been dancing, before Nina…" Fabian paused, trying to figure out what to say. She had left because she thought she figured out what _watch the time piece_ had meant, and he got stopped by Mr. Sweet.

"Before Nina what?" Trudy asked.

"Before Nina went to go talk to Amber for a bit. Amber is her best friend, so she had something to tell her, but she didn't tell me. Anyway, she left, and I was going to follow her but I got stopped by Mr. Sweet to talk about the exhibit.

"When I was done talking with Mr. Sweet, I went looking for her. I was on the dance floor, and searching through the crowd of people for her, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and I saw Nina- or, well, Joy. But she had Nina's mask and didn't say anything. I tried to talk and ask her why she had left earlier but she put her finger to my lips, cutting me off, and kissed me."

"Thinking it was Nina, I kissed her back. After a second, something caught my eye behind her, and I looked up, breaking the kiss to see Nina. Who I thought I had been kissing. If I could do anything in my life over, it would be that moment." That was one of the most honest statements he'd ever said. "Her face when she saw me and Joy… It broke my heart to see her's so crushed. After that, I looked back to Joy, who removed the mask and smiled at me."

Trudy put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. It was then that Fabian released he was almost in tears. He mentally kicked himself for being like that in front of the police, but maybe it cleared their suspicion of him.

"So… Let me get this straight. Nina Martin left crying because your friend Joy decided to steal her mask and pretend to be her so she could kiss you, which Nina witnessed?"

"Yes." Fabian nodded. Heat rose to his cheeks. No matter how many times he relived that memory, it would always be his most embarrassing moment and his biggest regret. After all, if he never kissed Joy, Nina wouldn't have fallen. But she told him not to blame anyone, not Joy, not her, and especially not himself.

"We have a few more questions for you, Mr. Rutter." The detective with the notepad spoke. "So, when she ran out crying, what happened next?"

"Well, she initially ran to the girls bathroom. Apparently, that's what she and Amber wanted me to think, because Amber blocked me from any contact with her. Eventually she cracked, and after scolding me a ton, she told me Nina ran to the house.

"So, I needed to explain to Nina what _really_ happened. Which meant I ran to the house to find her, but I didn't see her. Amber told me she didn't know where Nina was other than the house, since that was where she said she was going. We searched the house again, and we thought maybe we should give her some space, and she'd be back when she was ready… So we waited, but I went to my room because I felt awful. And then Trudy told me Nina was missing. And that's it."

He watched as the detectives shared a look, the note-taker scribbled down even faster.

"I would never hurt Nina! I swear!" Fabian burst out. He was feeling the absence of her once again, it hit him like a brick. He nearly burst into tears again, but he tried to hold them in. He had to silently gasp for air, concealing his pain.

"Fabian? Are you alright?" Trudy asked, holding his shoulder as he breathed deeply.

"Yeah…" He nodded, taking a deep breath. "It's just… Hitting me again. I just- I just want to have her back."

"Don't you think that's enough for a day? Can't you see the poor boy's exhausted?" Trudy said defensively, patting his shoulder.

"I guess you're right. Stay in town, don't leave. Be ready for more questions. And if you have any other information, anything at all, you come back and talk to us. Remember, we are just trying to find Ms. Martin."

_Like hell,_ Fabian thought to himself.

"We'll be in touch." The other detective said, standing up.

"Of course." Trudy said. Once they were outside, she pulled him into a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry about that, Fabian. I promise, we'll find her. And I know, you didn't do anything to hurt her."

_No_, he thought to himself again. _I just wasn't strong enough to save her._


End file.
